L
ouisville, Kentucky is lavish with heavy hitters. Decades ago you could see native son Muhammad Ali delivering jabs in the ring. Every summer you can hear the distinct clink of a Louisville Slugger baseball bat upper-cutting a ball towards centerfield. And up until February 25th, 2008, Louisville native Stephen “Static Major” Garrett was in the studio creating music to hook the entire world. If you’ve listened to the radio at any time within the past ten years, you’ve surely heard the hard-knocking hits of Static Major floating through the airwaves. “Are You That Somebody,” “Try Again,” and “Rock the Boat” by Aaliyah; “Pony,” “So Anxious,” and “”Same Ol’ G” by Ginuwine; “Say My Name,” by Destiny’s Child, “Tell Me,” by Diddy, “Juicy,” and “On the Hotline,” by Pretty Ricky, “Change the Game,” by Jay-Z, “You Owe Me,” by Nas, and “Lollipop,” by Lil’ Wayne, just to name a few, were all his creations. But, the average fan of Static Major’s compositions probably doesn’t even know who Static was. They probably don’t know that Stephen Garrett was a family man who loved his wife and children infinitely more than music. They probably didn’t know that Static was a great chef who often made meatloaf, roasted potatoes, and macaroni and cheese for his out-of-town guests, or that Static was a humble man who kicked it in the hood every week and treated his $400,000 Bentley like it was a used Toyota. Nor do they know that after Static’s sister died at age 22, he adopted his niece, Lexi, who is now a sophomore at the University of Louisville. Sadly enough, they probably have no clue that he died in a hospital in Louisville, Kentucky at the young age of 33. The average fan of Static Major may not know much if anything about him, but Stephen Garrett lived a life that was truly admirable. During his 33 years on Earth, Static made an incredible impact on all those he touched. He will always be remembered as someone who made the world a better place and will be missed by anyone who ever came in contact with him or his music. Thankfully, at the time of his death Static had over 1200 songs unreleased, ensuring that the world will be blessed with many more Static Major melodies for years to come. He recently worked with artists such as Jessica Simpson, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Bobby Valentino, Trey Songz and countless others. Less than three
weeks before his death, Static flew to Las Vegas to film a video for “Lollipop,” a single he cowrote with Lil’ Wayne. His manager Lil D proclaims, “I never saw him get excited about working with anyone the way he did when he was working with Lil Wayne. For the last two or three years that’s all he had been talking about, and he made it happen.” Not only did Static make his collaboration with Lil’ Wayne happen, but the song he helped create has proven to be a tremendous hit. Around a week after posting the song on his Myspace page, Lil’ Wayne received a million page views and rose to the #1 position on the Top Artist profile. Then on March 28th, “Lollipop” jumped 76 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 chart going from # 85 to #9. At press time “Lollipop” was #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, solidifying the song as Lil’ Wayne’s highest charting single ever as a lead artist. “I will miss Static,” says Lil Wayne. “We will all miss him. He had a promising future, and a well respected history.” In addition to his collaborative efforts with other artists, the world will also miss out on Static Major’s solo career, which was just beginning to blossom. He recently completed Suppertime, his first album on Blackground Records, and was prepping for its release. “Static’s solo career was really starting to take off,” says Jomo Hankerson, President of Blackground Records. “He was so excited about following up ‘Lollipop’ with his single, ‘I Got My.’ He was finally gonna get his shot as an artist.” Although he died in his prime, he accomplished great feats. He was persistent and he always knew what he wanted in life. “I’m so proud that he was able to accomplish music as his career,” says his mother. “Music was his lifestyle, and he lived a wonderful lifestyle.” His wife Avonti adds, “His legacy will live through his music. When I start missing him I just start playing his music, because it makes me feel close to him. I can still hear him to talk, and I can still hear his voice—-a lot of people don’t get that when they lose a loved one...
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Words: Eric Perrin OZONE |